Thanks to the plethora of creative techniques and makeup products available, producing a streamlined, sleek facial physique and facial contouring requires no professional help at all. Slimming your face and enhancing your best features is as easy as contouring your face to create dimension and that healthy glow we all envy when flipping through fashion magazines. The best part of all is that it requires no expensive tools or a team of stylists and can be done correctly in just minutes!

Why contour, you may ask. Aside from enhancing facial definition, there are many other great benefits of facial contouring. Basic foundation and powder may do wonders to cover blemishes or balance skin pigmentation, but foundation and powder alone translates to a dull flat look when captured on film or in photos. Bronzer and blush may give your face a healthy glow but applying too much or creating too significant of a contrast can make your face look dirty or unnatural. The technique of contouring offers your cheekbones and jaw lines an extra boost of animation and gives your entire look a natural, rejuvenated lift, all while eliminating facial bloat and accentuating your best features.

When selecting products to contour with, focus on matte powders as opposed to sheer bronzers or powders. You will want to select a powder that is one to two shades darker than your skin tone so that the shadows you create are natural and do not produce harsh lines. It is also important to use a brush that is angled or tapered in order to not only control the amount of product you’re applying, but to keep the product in a more precise area of the face.

There are hundreds of contouring tutorials available on the web and some may apply more to your face shape and personal preference than others, so don’t be afraid to experiment with various techniques until you find one that brings your face to life! In addition, you can find products that work for you in a variety of beauty brands and price points, so be creative, confident and mostly importantly, have fun!